one match point before advancing to the final of the Heineken Bermuda Open Tennis Tournament yesterday at the Tennis Stadium.

The local favourite produced a heart-throbbing, two-and-a-half-hour, three-set victory over American Gregg Friggerio 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (9-7) before a large crowd.

Mallory, the Island's top-ranked singles player, said it was a bit intimidating when Friggerio first served and the ball zipped past him like a flash.

"I realised from the start that I could not outhit him,'' said a jubilant Mallory. "So I had to slow my game down, even though it took me three sets in order to actually do so.'' Friggerio, playing his first tournament since arriving on the Island by way of Chicago from his home state of New Jersey, said it was a lack of match practice that was his eventual downfall, other than the fact that he "just couldn't put him (Mallory) away when I had the chance''.

The big points came when Friggerio was leading 4-1 in the tie-break, and again at match point with the score 7-6 only to hit a soft backhand into the net.

Action was exciting from the start with Friggerio breaking Mallory in the fourth game. Mallory twice returned the favour in the second set en route to a comfortable 6-1 win.

Play was all even in the third set as the lage crowd settled back for what many said was the best local match they have seen in several years. They were not disappointed.

Mallory got an early break then the players held service until the 10th game when Friggerio broke back to level the score at 5-5. A tie-break was imminent.

Mallory will face second-ranked Mike Curry in Saturday's final after Curry defeated Ken McDonald 6-3, 6-3 in a match that lasted two hours.

In another closely-contested match Gary Weller, the top seed in the B group, and Graham Williams battled to one set all (7-5, 5-7) before their match was stopped because the courts were previously booked.

In a women's semifinal, Gill Butterfield defeated Dianne Olchowik 6-0, 6-1.

Rumours circulating around the Tennis Stadium that Friggerio beat world number one Pete Sampras as a junior player was denied by Friggerio yesterday.

Anyone interested in being a line umpire for the XL Tennis Classic are urged to attend a training session tonight at the Waterloo House on Pitts Bay Road from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

RICKY MALLORY